This invention relates to a compensator for a mechanical pendulum clock to compensate for disturbance variables that affect the accuracy of the pendulum clock.
Mechanical pendulum clocks have been built since about 1650. At the beginning of this century they reached its technological high point. Accuracies of better than 1/100 second per day were attained. This required complicated compensators, which especially balance the effect of the temperature and the air pressure on the accuracy of the clock. The compensating pendulum, wherein to compensate for the temperature several rods having different temperature coefficients are arranged in such a manner that the center of gravity of the pendulum does not change with thermal expansions is known.
Despite inexpensive quartz clocks that work with very high accuracy, mechanical pendulum clocks have again become popular for the past few years. Both restored antique clocks and also reproductions thereof are popular. Unfortunately, the accuracy of such clocks is usually unsatisfactory In addition to the inaccuracies existing from the beginning due to fluctuations in temperature and air pressure and simple escapement systems, over the course of time inaccuracies arise due to the wear of the train of the clockwork and the gumming of the oil in the clock. Deviations of up to 10 seconds per day are normal, which today are found to be highly disturbing. Nevertheless, one does not often want to do without such pendulum clocks, frequently merely on account of their lovely stroke.